You need to wake up

What does it mean for our movements and our precious lives when we equate working for justice with despair? (+ last chance for Feb art!)

🙃 February sticker! / Join any tier with a sticker reward before Feb ends.

It’s the last day for Feb art ✌🏼 New sticker, new print. Join on Patreon today before midnight PT.

I’ve been making art about being okay even when things are not-okay and ended up getting these messages from people on Instagram who seem to think that this means looking away, means living in some easier dream world. People would say: “you need to wake up.” All my IRL people said just ignore it, which, yes. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it anyway. I felt misunderstood, but it was more than that. I kept wondering: what does it mean for our movements and for our precious lives when we equate working for justice with despair?

The sense of imperative I feel about finding a way to be okay when things are not-okay is directly rooted in my acute awareness of how hard things are, and how easily we might be extinguished if we do not learn to resist despair. We cannot forget that our heart breaks because we love it here so much. Because we adore each other. Because we know we belong in the world of things. Even now.

I put off writing this piece all month, feeling hesitant and unusually sensitive to how people see me for some reason, but also — I wondered if it could help to lay out the backstory of how I came to see things this way. So, I wrote the essay, and your responses have moved me deeply. Thank you for reading. If you missed it, it’s free here:

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I appreciate you reading along and considering this art with me this month. I love doing this with you.

For the print and/or sticker, join the tier on Patreon with the rewards you want before midnight tonight (2/28), Pacific time. We’ll get them all bundled up and headed your way next week.

love,
brit

New Art print reward // join any tier with a “new art print” reward (2 sizes, w/ and w/o a sticker) before the end of the month